While I was reading other blogs, and seeing how many tabs my web browser could hold, it dawned on me that Tuesday is technically the third day of the week (if a week begins on a Sunday). But Tuesday is the second day of the week if you are looking at a regular work week of Monday through Friday. This led me to the creation of my Two’s Day theme that focuses on pairs. Not pears, that’s another blog I like, you should check it out.

Two makes a pair and a pair can make one. That’s me one. Thanks mom and dad. Here are a few twofer’s we all have heard or said. Two peas in a pod. Two for the money. Two heads are better than one. Two timer. Put two and two together than it’s time to build an Ark. Two for Tuesday, made popular by radio stations in the late 70’s, playing two hits, from the same band, side by side, double whammy of dual songs all day long. In San Diego radio station KGB 101.5 was my first station that did dual duets. Two days later KGB would have $1000 Thursdays and give a grand away every hour. No sorry I can’t give you a grand on Thursday’s but I will give you two too day. Two blogs for you that is.

Two grand interesting (to me maybe) informative, educational and entertaining blogs for your Tuesday. You may never have taken a blog tour, because I haven’t either, and it doesn’t take a great mind to put two and two together, that maybe I can help someone, see with their own two eyes, the world of blogging. Twice bitten now, I hope you enjoy and are enlightened with my Two’s day blog duo/duet choices and send me back yours. If I reach even two people that’s my goal, they tell two, and so on than it’s a twofold situation. It could be too big for me to even imagine. Blog tours??? Do they even exist? Give me your two cents on the matter. By the way, if you happen to have two left feet, just remember there are two ways about it. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Like this:

I was seven years old when President John F Kennedy died. I remember it well because my dad loved to drive and we were headed to DC to pay tribute. My parents had immigrated seven years ago to the United States from the Netherlands. Since they were newly minted naturalized citizens, they wished to pay respect to the President of their country. It’s the first person in my life that I knew (everybody knew the President) that died. I didn’t know how at the time, but that didn’t matter because we didn’t have so much television broadcasting all the violence and shooting that we have today. The nation came to the Capitol, to share the pain, to walk past and say goodbye. A family of five, my brother and sister, my mom and dad and I

Now that we were in Washington DC, along with a quarter million other people, that swarmed the city, that day, my dad found the opportunity to practice his amateur photography skills (not so amateur when every year he took hundreds of photos of us for Christmas cards to send to family in Holland) and by doing so he recorded history. We waited in a very long line to see President Kennedy. He was somewhere in this Rotunda, where the line went forever in circles, all I saw was the United States flag draped over a big box. As we walked with people from everywhere through the building and then outside, it had come to my mom’s realization we lost dad somewhere back there.

My mom collected us like chicks of a mother hen, clucking mean words at someone who wasn’t even there, determined not to lose anyone else because there was such a big crowd. Well you know when you go to a big park or event, and before you even walk a foot in the entrance, your parents are already deciding and telling you where to meet if someone is lost. Well maybe because this wasn’t a happy event, it never dawned on my parents that we would want to run off from all the excitement and get lost., so we had no idea how to find dad.

So the four of us wandered around the Lincoln Memorial and I was certain that Dad was taken away like President Kennedy was taken from his country. Where ever he was my dad surely is with him taking pictures and telling the President how proud he was to be an American. I remember my brother Jose was so upset, because Dad never gets lost, all I could do was suck my thumb cause I was too worried to talk about it.

Black and white photography was still hi-tech during the time, as you saw by the photographs that depicted the last days of Kennedy’s life. The 35 mm camera was my dad’s basic tool, it was a Pentax, and my mom took pictures too. (How else did we get pictures of Dad) So it was always routine to do the ten million poses to get that right shot. The photos my dad took throughout our lives are good. I think he needs to have his work showcased. That is my goal to do for him. His big journey coming to America is all recorded on film as well. You can see some of those on the SS Statendam’s Facebook page. We even found more after my mom passed and went to join him.. So I am glad he made us do all the millions of shots cause there are many millions of people who have come to this country to start anew. Even today. My dad’s name is Karel J J Brouwers and Dad you did good. Thank you for all you did. I will one day have am exhibit in your honor. You damn hard-headed Dutchman.

Oh you still wondering how we found him or vice versa. Well ya just got to know how to whistle, it’s a secret whistle with an answer

Like this:

Through my work I volunteered at the Seattle Torchlight Parade on Saturday July, 25th 2015. I worked in the food booth feeding, other volunteers from my group, sandwiches, snacks and drinks. I had the honor of my sister Annette Chanez volunteering along side of me. The weather was perfect, scattered clouds hoovered over downtown Seattle giving a coolness to a regular warm summer day. We started at 11 in the morning, though the parade began at 7pm, handing out nourishment to fellow employees and their families that were also volunteering. Alaska Airlines (though I work for Horizon Airlines) sponsors the parade yearly since South West Airlines stopped 5 years ago. The volunteers push food carts (actual ones from the plane) around the parade route handing out snacks to the spectators that line the streets waiting for the parade to begin. We have our own Flight Attendants and Customer Service Agents march in the parade, each in their own unique drill, pulling suitcases and carry marshaling wands instead of batons. It was easy and fun. The best part is that by volunteering I am able to reward my favorite charity with money earned, at $10 an hour, through Alaska’s “Doers for Dollars” program. By the way that charity is “Roy’s Horse Rescue Ranch in New Mexico operated by my best friend Donna. The whole outcome of this wonderful day is that I wanted to do it again but in something that drove my passion.

I found it. Books and Art. I looked through the many places that needed volunteers and reading to kids and art is what grabs me. I applied for the museum close to home TAM and shortly there after I was contacted for an interview. I am speechless and in awe of the opportunity to serve this well known and famous museum in Tacoma, and to realize the value I will receive in return for giving of my time (not to mention the donation from work). I will learn about art, artists, history, and artifacts and I can teach a child how to draw a cartoon pony. What a trade-off.

So this blog now done, it has been a month and I will try write more often. So if you can and you have a couple of hours spare time a week, feed your passion, and find a place to volunteer. If everyone did we could shift this world into a better place, maybe even make it better for yourself.

Like this:

I started drawing when I was in first grade. If there was paper and pencil I would draw anything I could copy or imagine. My mom said, “when you were drawing you would concentrate so hard and your tongue was always sticking out of your mouth”. I haven’t done that since I grew up but maybe I should if the creativity stems from my tongue. In high school I always took some kind of art class, whether it was drawing or working with clay. It was during those high school years that hoofprints started showing up on my notes to friends and then this cartoon pony emerged.
It’s been 40 years since then and now there are four ponies that have evolved and they are called The Patrol Ponies. I draw other animals and things but it’s the ponies that I do best. I have stories that go with them as they patrol the earth. So here I am seeking the knowledge and advice from others that have been down this road already. I’m going to give it all I’ve got and if I get it, I want to give back too. This is my passion, my dream, my hope and my heart.